Washington D.C. – State Senator Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) and State Rep. Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) called on members of Congress to work together to avoid a government shutdown at a news conference today near Capitol Hill. Senator Tavares was a featured speaker at the press conference organized by Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND) and its program Women Legislator’s Lobby (WiLL). WiLL is a national nonpartisan network of women state legislators, who work together to influence federal policy and budget priorities.

“If we had more women at the table of power we would have more negotiations and compromise on a budget that serves the needs of the American people,” said Senator Tavares. “Where there is a will (Women Legislator’s Lobby) there is a way.”

Women legislators and community leaders from more than 35 states gathered for the press conference this morning to urge Congress to get back to business doing the work of the people. Senator Tavares serves as the board chairperson of the WAND Education Fund.

“Certainly our schools and local governments could benefit from some community investments and elected lawmakers getting back to the business of serving the people,” said Rep. Antonio, the Ohio State Director for WiLL.

WAND is a national non profit organization dedicated to empowering women to act politically to reduce violence and militarism, and redirect excessive military resources toward unmet human and environmental needs.

Columbus—Next week, Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) will introduce legislation aimed at protecting citizens who record law enforcement and civilian involved incidents. The Eyewitness Protection Act will give a person the right to lawfully record any incident involving law enforcement or the public and to maintain custody and control of that recording and the device used to record the incident.

Columbus—State Senator Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) applauded the passage of Senate Bill 30, legislation she sponsored which establishes the Ohio Family Stability Commission. The proposal establishes a time-limited commission that will focus on the strengthening of Ohio families and emphasizing the well-being of children.

May is Mental Health Month sponsored by Mental Health America. This year’s theme is called “B4Stage4” which focuses on diagnosing and addressing mental illnesses before Stage 4 in which symptoms are more severe and difficult to treat.

Mental illnesses are sometimes crippling disorders that affect the lives of millions of Americans and oftentimes go unannounced because of the stigma associated with them.

Join me in spreading the word about “mental health” throughout the month of May so that your friends, family, and community can get the support and education that they need.

For more information about mental health awareness, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness at nami.org.

Today, during Senate Session, Assistant Democratic Leader Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) honored the life of former Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Paul Tipps who died on April 21st at the age of 78. During his tenure, the Ohio Democratic Party controlled all statewide offices in Ohio and the Ohio legislature.